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Pros and Cons of Living in Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington

City in Indiana

LIVABILITY RATING

71

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City Scores and Ratings

B

LIVABILITY

A+

COST

C-

EDUCATION

D

CRIME

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Pros and Cons of Living in Bloomington

You might be looking to move to Bloomington, Indiana or just interested in the city’s livability, so to help you, we’ve put together the pros and cons of living in Bloomington. This assessment ranks the factors used to assess livability and compares them against other cities on a national and state level. While this assessment should give a good detailed idea about the advantages and disadvantages of living in Bloomington, it might not incorporate all areas that might appeal to some people.

Since moving to a new city can be a big decision. Hopefully, this evaluation will help you in your career change, relocation, or just a change.

Summary of Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

  • Crime
  • High Poverty Rate

Details of Pros and Cons

Living in Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington is a mid sized city in the state of Indiana which is located in the county of Monroe. Bloomington hasn't seen a lot of growth of new residents over the past 5 years but maintained a small consistent amount of new residents moving into the city. The population has reached 84058 with a population growth rate of 0.6% in the last year and 2.5% in the last 5 years.Living in Bloomington has a urban feel, which can be generally more fast paced than the surrounding suburban areas but not as fast paced as more extremely packed cities. Usually there isn't a problem finding new things to do and your money goes a little further for the space compared to other cities.

City Type:

Urban

Home Value:

$182,100

Mortgage:

$1,208

The estimates above for a typical home value and mortgage are based on median values for the area. Data sources: American Community Survey and the US Census.

Is Bloomington, Indiana a good place to live?

Yes, Bloomington is a great place to live. Bloomington ranks well in a combination of factors and diversity. Bloomington  truly has something for everyone, and that’s why it’s a great place to call home.

Ultimately, what makes a great city to live in is subjective. Some people might prefer a smaller city with a tight-knit community, while others might prefer a larger city with more options. The important thing is that a city provides what its residents need and want. If a city has everything a person is looking for, it can be a great place to live.

There are a lot of factors that make a city a good place to live. One of the most important is affordability. Housing costs shouldn’t consume too much of a person’s income. Another important factor is job availability. A city should have a healthy economy and a variety of jobs to choose from.

A city also needs to be safe. People should feel comfortable walking around at night and there shouldn’t be a lot of crime. Amenities are another important factor. A city should have a variety of restaurants, bars, and other places to go out. It’s also nice if a city has a lot of parks and green spaces.

Finally, a city should be diverse. There should be a variety of cultures and religions represented. People should feel welcome to live in any part of the city. A city that meets all these criteria is a great place to live.

Pros and Cons Details

Pros of Living in Bloomington

  • Livability – Bloomington’s overall livability score is above average. This rating is the sum of the city’s data points and factors, and then a weighting of these variables is used to determine a good standard quality of life compared to other cities. The livability score considers education, crime, cost of living, and residents’ overall happiness calculated as a predictive index through our advanced statistical models.
  • Cost of Living – When choosing a new place to live, the cost of living is a significant consideration. The cost of living in Bloomington is lower than the national average and most cities in the state. While some areas can be higher than others on a state and federal level, the overall average of housing costs, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services are less expensive.
  • Education – See our full report on education in Bloomington, and why it is a significant pro and consideration for living here.

Cons of Living in Bloomington

  • Crime – See our full report on crime in Bloomington, and why it is a consideration for living here.
  • High Poverty Rate – Bloomington has a poverty rate of 17.7% of residents, which is higher than in other cities in the United States. The average poverty rate across cities in America is about 10-13%.

Population & Growth

Population

84,058

1 Year Growth

0.6%

5 Year Growth

2.5%

Who is Living in Bloomington, Indiana? Demographics

The city had a large population of young adults in their 20s. The median age in the city is about 24 years old. The typical family has on average 2.8 people including children and parents. In terms of diversity, on a national level, Bloomington ranks number 5777 which is above the national average for diversity and on a state level ranks 124 which is above the state average.

 

 

Median Age:

23.9

Average Family Size:

2.81

People in Poverty %:

17.7%

Data sources: American Community Survey and the US Census.

A city’s demographics are important for a variety of reasons. From a business standpoint, knowing the age, income, and education level of a city’s residents can help companies to decide where to locate their businesses. It can also give them insight into what type of products or services will be in demand. For government officials, demographics can play a role in everything from budgeting to planning new infrastructure projects. And for individuals, it can be helpful to know the demographics of a city before moving there, as it can give you a sense of what to expect in terms of your neighbors and the overall atmosphere of the community.

Of course, demographics can also have some drawbacks. If a city’s residents are largely of one age group or income level, it can create challenges in providing adequate services and amenities. And if a city’s demographics change rapidly, it can be difficult for residents to keep up with the changing needs of the community. Nevertheless, knowing the demographics of a city is important for both individuals and businesses alike.

Population of Male and Female Residents

Male
 50.3%
Female
 49.7%

How Does Gender Imbalance Impact a City?

Gender imbalance is important when evaluating a city because it impacts many social aspects. So, what kind of impact on a city does gender imbalance have? According to many studies, there is no one exact answer to this question as it depends on the city and its specific situation. However, generally speaking, a city with a more balanced male-female population would be considered more stable and prosperous.

Studies about gender imbalances have shown that when there are too many or too few men in a population, it can lead to increased crime rates and other social problems. For example, in societies with a large gender imbalance, young men may be more likely to engage in criminal activity in order to prove their masculinity. Conversely, in societies with too many women, they may be at a disadvantage when competing for jobs and other resources.

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Bloomington Reviews

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2.0 out of 5 stars (based on 1 review)
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An Area I Moved Out Of

October 20, 2024

It’s a great place to go to school, especially at Ivy Tech or at IU. Both campuses offer good instruction and safe campuses (with the possible exception of students involved in alcohol use/parties around IU). For the most part, the area has good walkability during the day, and good public transit.

I would not recommend it as a place to live permanently unless you already have ties to the area. For most jobs it will not offer competitive wages. The economy centers the service industry and only a couple factories. People that commute out for work, or have established careers with the universities seemed to fare the best.

Bloomington was different from Indy in that instead of liquor stores springing up to show you the area is declining, in Bloomington there were numerous rehabs and social services popping up in the area instead. This wasn’t especially good though because people assigned to these services from other areas made up too large of a percent of the people who were inbound to the area. This caused it to have sort of a marginal safety profile, where some of the apartment complexes were places that most people would not feel safe/comfortable and created an eerie feel to the area. Plus, if you can’t find a good job you will be living and working closely combined with this population with only a few precious opportunities to better your life and separate (they are also in entry level positions, or may have housing vouchers to live alongside people that pay to be there). There are some areas to actively avoid including during daytime hours (unless you have a good reason to be there) including some parts of Pidgeon Hill, the Crawford House, and the sidewalk in front of Seminary Square. Policing exists around a hands-off community policing model that doesn’t match what is going on. There is also a small-town/rural environment that exists alongside the urban poverty, but it seemed mostly designed for people that share a relatively uniform set of goals and values and possibly grew up in the area.

Amanda

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